Inside the Shop Specifically Designed to Make You Feel Happy
Shifting consumer shopping habits (Cyber Monday gets bigger every year) and the uptick in interest in meditation and mindfulness has forced retail spaces rethink how they appeal to and relate with consumers. It's no longer enough to simply exist and sell goods; rather, there has to be an experience that makes leaving the couch and shopping in the real world worth it. And a new pop-up in London totally gets it: The store is focusing on bringing happiness and bliss to customers—with a side of shopping.
Browns, a boutique mythologized for first bringing buzzy designs from Calvin Klein and Jil Sander to the London retail scene, is expanding from its brick-and-mortar flagship with Browns East. It's the first installment of the store's new pop-up project, Browns Nomad, according to the art, fashion, and culture publication AnOther.
"The endorphins that are produced when you laugh and smile can change your whole demeanor. And if we can get people to feel that little bit happier after stopping by, why not?” —Holli Rogers, Browns CEO
The pop-up appeals to the senses with a bold, mood-boosting design and also features art installations. But, perhaps most interestingly, the brand has created a mindfulness-inspired "immersive experience." The result is a retail space full of color, texture, and light that aims to create a soothing experience—think a hygge-appropriate atmosphere that includes shag-carpet-like walls and velvet furniture. And beyond the aesthetics, Browns East is meant to function as a space to breathe and unwind. There will even be public meditation sessions.
Browns CEO Holli Rogers told AnOther that the shop is meant to counter the "predictable" retail experience and instead resurface the "magic."
"The endorphins that are produced when you laugh and smile can change your whole demeanor," she said. "And if we can get people to feel that little bit happier after stopping by, why not?”
Money can't buy happiness, but, hey, maybe shopping can?
Take a look at the innovative retail space below.
Between the art exhibitions and the activewear scene, now might be the perfect time to plan your London trip.
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